Winter Skin Care Tips for Healthier Looking Skin

Christmas time, the first snowfall, hot cocoa by the fire—it’s all exciting. While you may enjoy wintertime, not only for all of its happenings but for the colder temps, this climate is no friend to your skin, and an effective winter skin care routine is essential if you want to keep your skin looking healthy throughout the winter months.

Cold weather and dry air can cause dry, itchy, red, irritated skin. If you aren’t taking care of your skin properly, your skin can even crack and start to look very unhealthy. Here are 10 winter skincare tips for keeping your skin healthy during the colder months.

Top 10 Winter Skin Care Tips

Winter weather can wreak havoc on your skin and rob it of its natural moisture; fortunately, there are ways to combat this. Whether you have chapped lips or the cold weather dries your skin out, you can use certain products and make lifestyle changes to achieve healthy skin in the winter.

Switch Up Your Skincare Routine

You probably have a set skincare routine you follow to remove your makeup every night—or just a routine you always follow before bed no matter what. It’s smart to modify your skincare regimen in the winter to be sure you don’t harm it. A typical skincare routine usually entails cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.

Cleanser: Opt for a cream-based cleanser in the winter months; it will be the most moisturizing and gentle on your skin.

Toner: Use toners and astringents sparingly, if at all. They can dry out your skin more.

Moisturizer: Choose a product that locks in moisture or look for a natural moisturizing oil. Hydrating ingredients like lavender, chamomile, and more will soothe dry, itchy skin.

Choose a Moisturizer Carefully

You can’t use just any moisturizer and expect your skin problems to go away. Certain over-the-counter moisturizers have petroleum-based ingredients. These moisturizers can actually cause your skin to become even more dry.

Add a Serum to Your Routine

Serums and moisturizers work together beautifully. A serum will actually enhance the efficiency of your moisturizer. Serums with antioxidants such as vitamin C also offer anti-aging benefits and help brighten dull skin in the winter, both added bonuses.

Use Gentle, Fragrance-Free Body Soaps and Cleansers

Some cleansers contain glycolic or salicylic acid, causing them to be extremely drying to the skin. While this has benefits for people with, say, acne-prone skin, it’s a no-no in the winter when your skin is already dry enough. In the winter, it’s best to switch to a hydrating cleanser that contains moisturizing ingredients. The wrong soap can also make dry, itchy skin even worse. Look for soaps that are fragrance-free, unscented, and made with moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid is an extremely effective way to boost hydration in your skin. Looking for products that contain hyaluronic acid or even adding a few drops to your moisturizer can be beneficial and prevent dry skin in the winter time. Hyaluronic acid locks in moisture and holds it so it can be absorbed by the skin.

Stay Hydrated and Eat Healthy

What you put in your body is just as important as what you put on it. Beneath the skin’s barrier is a body that needs water and other vitamins and minerals to hydrate your skin from the inside out. Drink enough water and make sure to incorporate foods into your diet that are high in water content like watermelon, apples, oranges, and kiwi. Foods that are high in vitamin C and zinc will help support the production of collagen and elastin.

Exfoliate Gently

Exfoliating a few times a week is good in the winter time because it helps replenish the skin; however, you’ll want to be especially gentle during the colder months. Adding an exfoliating mask to your skin care regimen or using an all over body scrub will strip away dead skin without drying you out too much, which is great. But, if you exfoliate too much and aren’t gentle enough, exfoliants will only irritate your skin more. You should limit exfoliation to three times a week.

Keep Your Lips Hydrated

Your cherry lip balm might feel good when you’re applying it, but it’s more than likely doing more harm than good. Many lip balms actually dehydrate your skin. When picking out a lip balm or scrub, make sure to look for something that hydrates and adds moisture like Glossier’s Balm Dotcom lip balm. This product contains castor seed oil, a plant extract that contains unique water-binding properties to keep moisture locked in.

Avoid Hot Showers

Next time you feel like taking a hot shower or bath, consider using lukewarm water. Washing off with lukewarm water will help you avoid stripping away the natural oils from your skin. Even the smallest things like washing your face or hands with lukewarm water will help you retain moisture from natural oils.

Apply Sunscreen Even on Cloudy Days

Protecting your skin is important at all times of the year. Even in the winter, you should apply sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays that can cause signs of aging and skin cancer. Incorporating a foundation like IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream into your makeup routine that has SPF 50 in it is an easy way to make sure you are protected every day.

Protect Your Skin

Last but certainly not least, be sure to protect your skin as much as possible during the winter months. Always wear gloves, a scarf, and plenty of clothing to protect yourself against damaging winds and snow.

Franklin Academy is proud of the hands-on training and real world experience we offer to students in our aesthetics program. Our program is 30 weeks of aesthetic training and designed to teach you everything you need to know to be a successful esthetician. Do you want to help people achieve beautiful looking skin during the winter months and all year long? With the help of Franklin Academy, you can become the expert! Or, if you’d like to schedule a consultation to discuss your skin concerns with one of our beauty experts in training, contact us today.

About Franklin Academy

Franklin Academy is a private non-profit institution whose primary mission is to train students for careers in the beauty industry in a student-centered learning environment while being responsive to employment trends. See how we can help you plan for your future today!